Page 30 - MSM Bloomberg Scholarship
P. 30
Bloomberg Scholarship Impact
Making Student Dreams A Reality
Alexandria Williams much needed pep talk and sors who look like me, or
gave us his personal cell
I am treated by doctors
College Park, GA number, stating we could who look like me, so I’m
1st-year M.D. student reach out to him anytime sure others feel the same.
Why did you choose Morehouse whether regarding school I believe that people have
School of Medicine? MSM lives up or life. He is one of the an implicit bias, they may
to its mission. It is very involved in most responsive profes- have an automatic pref-
the surrounding community and sors I’ve ever had and it erence for one race over
other underserved areas. It’s par- is evident how much he another and are not even
ticularly special for me because it cares for us. It’s the facul- consciously aware of it.
is my hometown, and I get to be a ty like him that makes me realize When that comes into medicine, it
part of giving back to my commu- MSM is a special place. effects treatment and patient health.
nity.
Has the financial burden of What do you hope to accom-
What first interested you in medical school been particularly plish in your career after gradua-
your program of study or medi- difficult for you? There have defi- tion/residency? As of right now, I
cine? In my undergraduate cours- nitely been times in which I have am very interested in pursuing OB/
es, I took a maternal health class thought about pursuing a higher GYN with a specialization of Ma-
and became very interested in the paying specialty to help pay for ternal Fetal Medicine. I have started
subject matter. Outside of class, I my medical school loans. I’ve also working on a non-profit aimed to
began to read into the alarming looked into going into the Navy or provide resources and education on
high rates of maternal mortality in Air Force, despite not wanting to, in reproductive and sexual health for
the United States, especially among order to pay for school. minority girls and women. I want
Black women. It was around that to grow my non-profit and work
time I decided I wanted to go into Please share how scholarship with it throughout the duration of
obstetrics and gynecology. support helps you — academical- my life and hope to leave it as my
ly, professionally, and personally? legacy.
Was the institution’s mission Scholarship support allows me to
important to you, when you were focus on my schoolwork rather If you could say or do one thing
choosing a medical school? Many than worry about finances. It also to thank the Bloomberg Philanthro-
schools have mission statements allows me the opportunity to pur- pies’ Greenwood Initiative, what
that are more or less the same as sue my dream career and take care would it be? I don’t feel as though
Morehouse School of Medicine, of my mother. my words can express the magni-
so it was very important to me to tude of my appreciation for the sup-
choose a school that supported its What is your take on the na- port. I am genuinely so grateful as
mission as MSM does. tionwide shortage of Black doctors? this gift will help move me a couple
I realize how positively impacted of steps ahead of where I would be
Can you tell me a story about I am when I’m taught by profes- post graduation.
something that has happened
during medical school that would I realize how positively impacted I am
illustrate what the MSM experi- when I’m taught by professors who look like
ence is really like? Beginning our “ me, or I am treated by doctors who look like
second semester, we were starting
off the day with a new professor. me, so I’m sure others feel the same.
Prior to starting class, he gave us a
